The Flashback
by Nissa1
Summary: A Buffy and Spike fic. Inspired by the book "Demon In My View" by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes. It's an AU fic and Joyce doesn't exist.


Title: The Flashback  
  
Author: Nissa  
  
Email: LuckyStar507@aol.com  
  
Rating: R Character Deaths  
  
Summary: A Buffy and Spike fic. Inspired by the book "Demon In My View" by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes. It's an AU fic and Joyce doesn't exist.  
  
Authors Note: Some lines and quotes were borrowed from the book "Demon In My View" but slightly altered for the story.  
  
It was raining outside, not a slit of light in the sky. She sat in her college math class thinking 'What do X and Y have to do with kicking vamp ass? Why do Slayers need to learn this?' Then the class room door opened. A tall bleach blond man walked in, about eighteen. He had clear blue eyes and a long leather duster.  
  
"Hullo. New Student." The boy said to the professor handing her a form. He had a rich English accent.  
  
"Yes, well...William why don't you take a seat?" He nodded and walked up through the rows and sat in a seat next to Buffy. She couldn't help but look at him. 'Hmm...not that bad....wait no, bad Buffy...Riley...think of Riley'. William smiled at her and nodded his head. "William Bolden." He said extending his hand to the Slayer.  
  
"Buffy Summers." She replied shaking his hand, which was awfully cold she thought.  
  
"Where are you from William?" Buffy questioned the new student.  
  
"Oh, around. Originally England, but me and my family've traveled a bit." He couldn't help noticing how beautiful she was....her golden hair, her green eyes....'No Spike ol' boy, the SLAYER, she's the SLAYER. You're here to take care of her, not to bloody court her.'  
  
"Why don't I show you around later? Ya know tour of Sunnydale type thingy? Since your new and don't really know you're way around?" 'What am I doing? Riley, Riley, what about RILEY?'  
  
"Sure how about sometime tonight? Meet you outside of the college?" 'Well, if she fancies me, can't see why I shouldn't play it out.'  
  
"Tonight it is." She smiled weakly wondering what she'd gotten herself into.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Hmm....William Bolden....is he a hottie?" Willow asked Buffy when they returned to their dorm.  
  
"Majorly. And he's English." Buffy'd always had a thing for guys with accents, they seemed more exotic....more cultured.  
  
"Oooo, got the sexy English thing workin' for him too huh? Wow. Does Riley stand a chance against this guy?" Willow asked plopping down on her bed.  
  
"Willow! I'm just showing him around. Not going out on a date with him." Replied Buffy as she moved to her closet. Attempting to pick out an outfit for that night. "Does this look OK?" She said holding up a baby blue tank top, leather skirt and a leather jacket.  
  
"Hmm...not a date? Just you getting all sexy to show him around town huh?" Willow put on her 'okay sure' face. "Just tell me if it looks okay?" Buffy groaned.  
  
"Yeah it looks great." Willow giggled.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
She walked through town thinking 'What the hell am I doing? I'm just getting into a relationship with Riley and do I really wanna jeopardize that by taking this new guy around and possibly seeing Riley and him getting the wrong idea?' Meandering up the sidewalk, getting closer to the college she stopped thinking of Riley and remembered why she was doing this 'It's a nice thing to do. Right? And it doesn't hurt that he's majorly hot.' Buffy smiled to herself. She was almost there when someone pulled up behind her.  
  
"Hullo luv." She knew it was William from the accent.  
  
"Hey yourself. Do you live over in the dorms too?"  
  
"Yah. If I'd've known you did we could've met up sooner." He grinned at her.  
  
"Well, William where do you wanna start this tour of ours?" Buffy said nervously, hoping he didn't think this was a date....or maybe hoping that it could be....'RILEY' her head screamed to her.  
  
"Call me Will. And I like your outfit by the way." He loved leather, especially on her.  
  
"Okay Will. Thanks by the way. Now, do you wanna start our tour by going to the Bronze?" 'Oh no, if we go to the Bronze this'll feel like a date!'  
  
"What's the Bronze?"  
  
"A club. Well, more like the club. Sunnydale's really small and we really only have one good one and the Bronze is it."  
  
"Sure let's go to the Bronze then." Will smiled. Buffy blushed.  
  
They walked for a while without really talking.  
  
"So, do you work?" Will asked, breaking the awkward silence. 'Great, now he wants to know if I work....'Yah Will I'm a Vampire Slayer'....that'd go over real well...'  
  
"Yah, I work at the Magic Box part time." 'Not a complete lie.' "What about you?"  
  
'I'm a Vampire and I was sent here to kill you.....nah....that won't bloody well work....'  
  
"I used to be a poet, sold some poetry, then lost my streak....got pretty bad at it. Bloody awful actually," 'Well I was a poet before I got turned and I did lose my streak when Cecily turned me down so...there I didn't lie...wait why do I care if I lied to her? She's the bloody Slayer and I'm supposed to kill her!'  
  
"Really? A poet? That's pretty nifty. More of a physical girl than mental myself." 'Oh great now he thinks I wanna get physical with him.....memo to me: Think before you open your dumb mouth.'  
  
"Physical? Like a dancer?" 'Yah, a dancer that happened to kill things while she does a twirl. I'll probably be the next thing she tries to stake when she busts a move'  
  
"Well, not really. More like a fighter." 'Now's when that 'I'm the Slayer. Ask me how' Button would come in handy.'  
  
"So you like to fight things? What you do that just for kicks?"  
  
"We're here!" Buffy exclaimed....glad that conversation was over. They stepped into the Bronze. It's dim lights and blaring music gave off a warm atmosphere. She spotted a table back in the corner...but decided to go with the table on the side of the dance floor 'Less datey' she thought. "C'mon Will there's a table over there" She grabbed his hand to pull him to the table, and dropped it just as fast with the realization of what she'd just done. 'Wow his hand was cold. Or maybe I'm just cold too...' He just smiled at her and sat down.  
  
"I'll go get us some drinks" She left for the bar and hurried back with two beers.  
  
"So pet. Do you do it for kicks? Ya know the fighting?" 'Oh great....back to this again'  
  
"No I fight for self-defense, but can't say I don't love it."  
  
"Self-defense? Do you have to defend yourself often luv?" He already knew the answer, hell he knew the answer to all his questions...he just liked toying with her.  
  
"Yah....even though Sunnydale's a small town we've got our share of badies." 'Yup, our share and half the worlds....Damn that Hellmouth.'  
  
He sipped his drink and a slow song came on. "Dance?" Will extended his hand to a nervous Buffy. "Sure..." 'Great, now someone I know is gunna see me and tell Riley that I was dancing with some other guy....Life's just dandy isn't it?'  
  
They walked out onto the floor and right into the midst of many couples. He snaked his arms around her waste, she wrapped her hands around his neck and laid her head on his chest. 'Why doesn't this feel wrong?' Will thought 'The Slayer? Holding me...me holding her...it feels almost natural. Bloody hell! Why do I always have to like the people most likely to reject me?' She broke their hold after what seemed like only seconds. Will just stood there looking confused.  
  
"Songs over." Buffy giggled 'Wish it wasn't....RILEY think of R-I-L-E- Y....your BOYFRIEND'  
  
"So it is." 'Must've been the shortest bloody song in the world...' They walked back over to their table. "Will?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"This has been so much fun, but I really feel like I should tell you...that...Ihaveaboyfriend."  
  
"Whas that?"  
  
"I....well.....I have a boyfriend." she sighed  
  
"I know....I know ya do luv." 'Of course she does...and once she finds out what I am she'll stake me...move on and not care...I'm just another bloody animal to her. Sometimes I wonder why I even bother'  
  
"You do?" Buffy was so confused at this point...her feelings were going haywire and now he knew all about the Riley thing. He seemed to know about everything...  
  
"Well it's a bit obvious. A gorgeous girl like you isn't likely to be single? Is she?" 'Did I just call her gorgeous?'  
  
"Thanks," Buffy smiled and turned a bright shade of pink, 'He thinks I'm gorgeous!'  
  
"Why don't I take you home now ducks?" 'I can't do this...not tonight'  
  
"What about the rest of your tour?" 'He wants to leave already? I thought we were having a good time...Oh it was the 'I have a boyfriend thing' wasn't it? Stupid Buffy....STUPID' she mentally slapped herself in the head.  
  
"We'll do it some other time." 'When I'm not such a sodden nancy-boy'  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Buffy!" Willow shouted as she shook her friend, "Class starts in an hour, wake up!"  
  
"Hey Willow," Buffy said lazily,"I had the best dream last night. I went out to show this new guy Will around and we danced at the Bronze and everything."  
  
"Oh you mean the Will that dropped you off here last night and said that he'd see you tommorow in class?" Willow smiled.  
  
"Really? I didn't just dream it?"  
  
"No." Willow laughed.  
  
"Oh great," Buffy rolled over,"Now I can't date him because I'm going out with Riley....Wah"  
  
"Who says you have to stay with Riley?"  
  
"Well if I dump him now, I dunno I guess I'd feel bad."  
  
"Aww, poor Buffy, two sexy men like her! What shall she do?" Willow said putting a hand up to her forehead.  
  
"Ouch. Easy on the Sarcasm Willow. Besides you have Tara."  
  
"Yeah, Yeah I do." Willow smiled,"Now hurry up and get dressed! Will! Class!"  
  
With the weight of her love life in her mind she went to the closet and began to get dressed.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Willow, my sexy English man wasn't in class, and neither was Riley," Buffy pouted.  
  
"Poor Buffy," Willow said in mock-sympathy, "We have to go to the Magic Box now, Giles is waiting for us..."  
  
"Oh Joy, more end of the world fun!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Hello Buffy, Willow, Xander, Tara, Anya" Giles welcomed them into the Magic Box with a nod.  
  
"Hey Giles," Buffy, Willow, Tara and Anya greeted him back followed by a "Hey G-Man" from Xander.  
  
"Don't call me that." Giles said, as he did everyother time Xander called him that.  
  
"So what new end of the world thingy we got goin on now?" Buffy asked Giles, boredom dripping from her words.  
  
"Well it seems that Sunnydale has a new demon or two in town."  
  
"Oh no! Not a demon! We don't see those everyday!" Xander yelled in fake panic. They were all getting quite bored of their average demons and vampires.  
  
"It's not just any demon, it's the Sklakai demon. He feeds off others by disguising himself as their deepest desires, but their desires only appear that way. If they take the desire that it shows them they will ultimatley turn to the side of evil and become the Sklakai's servants. The only way to kill him is to...well...we don't know how to kill him."  
  
"What? None of the books say anything?" Willow asked.  
  
"Well they say that people have killed them, but with great loss of other members in the community. They had to kill them all, the community that is, after they turned evil and became his lifelong servants. Just not how they killed the Sklakai itself."  
  
"Maybe I could run a web search on it." Willow suggested  
  
"Okay get to it then." Willow hurried to the computer at Giles command.  
  
"I seem to remember a Sklakai demon. He was a friend of mine. Didn't have a real name I don't think...liked people to call him 'Great Master of All'...I think he had some childhood issues," Anya said out of the blue.  
  
"Do you know how to kill one?" Giles asked.  
  
"No! He was a friend, why would I want to kill him?" Everyone in the room, save Anya, gave a collective sigh.  
  
"What?!?!" Anya yelled, puzzled as always.  
  
"Buffy? Patroling tonight?" Xander asked her.  
  
"Sure, patroling....I can already feel the excitment swelling within me."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Buffy? Why do I have to go patrolling with you all the time? I mean, Anya's an ex-demon and knows how to kill demons. Willow and Tara are witches and they've got the magic thing going on to help you. But me? I'm just Xander. I run and hide. How does that help you at all?"  
  
"It doesn't really....but you're Xander and you're company on the lonley patroling trail." Buffy kept thinking about her lovelife situation while Xander rambeled on about how he really didn't help and that he'd be better off researching even though that wasn't a strong point of his either and that no matter what he did Cordy had been right he'd always be the zeppo. 'I haven't even seen Riley lately....but I still care about hurting him....what is wrong with me?' A vamp popped out of the tombstone in front of her without warning.  
  
"Why do you all think you can get me by yourselves?" Buffy staked him and he dusted without a fight. "Well Xan not much more action....I think it's safe to say we can go home."  
  
They walked together to the next sidewalk and Xander walked to his appartment from there, and Buffy to her dorm. She got outside of the building and saw a guy standing next to the door. Just what she needed...Riley.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Miss Edith says you didn't kill her....She tells mummy that you were....what's that Miss Edith? He was....He's in love with the Slayer?"  
  
"Miss Edith's lying to you Dursilla. I only love you." He went over to kiss her.  
  
"I can smell her. All over you. I can see her. She's in your head." She pulled away.  
  
"Dru, I'll be able to do it. I know it."  
  
"Don't lie to mummy Spike. If you can't handle her, Miss Edith and I have a plan." She stroked her dolls hair and went into the other room in the crypt.  
  
"Dammit...Dammit all to bloody hell." He slammed his fist into the wall.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Riley?" 'Oh great....Just what I need....let's buy the tickets....here comes the guilt trip.'  
  
"Buffy...hi." He smiled at her uneasily. "Haven't seen you a lot lately and I'm sorry about that. It's just, I've had work a lot lately." 'Work? He works?'  
  
"That's okay. I've been busy too."  
  
"Yah so I heard." 'No! He knows about me and Will dancing!'  
  
"What'dyou mean?" 'Maybe if I play stupid...'  
  
"Buffy I hear about you and that guy dancing at the Bronze." 'Or maybe that won't work....'  
  
"It wasn't anything. I was just showing him around and he asked me to dance! There's nothing going on between us." 'Why do I care so much? We've only been dating for a few weeks and I haven't even seen him lately.'  
  
"Really? Great....that's gonna make this harder..." 'What?!?! He's still breaking up with me?!'  
  
"I um...I've been seeing someone else...."  
  
"So you've been cheating....and hoped I'd been cheating so we could all just have one great big cheatfest?" 'Who does this guy think he is?'  
  
"No I just hoped that you had someone else on back-up because well...I'm breaking this up before we get too involved and I hurt you."  
  
"Okay....Have a nice life Riley." She turned and shot him and icy glare and walked into the dorm complex. 'I can't believe this. I was about to turn my back on a guy I think I could like for this scum that was cheating on me all along. Ugh men!' She unlocked the door to her dorm room and flung herself onto her bed. She wasn't tired.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Buffy? I'm back from the Magic Box. More news on the demon front." Willow said tossing her coat on her dorm room bed. "Buffy?" 'Hmph, I was sure she'd be here...' She saw someone moving around in their bathroom. "Buf...Oh my Goddess...."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
She walked down the cold sidewalks of Sunnydale. A stake up her sleeve and a cross in her pocket. She heard shoes scuffing behind her and swung around pulling the stake out.  
  
"Whoa! Sorry to sneak up on you luv." 'How am I gonna explain the stake to Will? He's gonna think I'm crazy!'  
  
"Sorry," She put the stake back up her sleeve, "Girl can never be too careful."  
  
"Yah," 'Thank God, I thought she knew I was a vamp and was going to bloody kill me.' "How's your night been?"  
  
"Awful...that's why I'm out here...couldn't sleep."  
  
"Why not luv?"  
  
"My boyfriend. He'd been cheating on me and broke up with me before he could 'hurt me' That 'relationship' lasted like what two weeks? What's the point of even trying...?" She said complete with air quotes. 'Why am I telling him all this?'  
  
"Any man who'd cheat on you is out of his bloody mind." 'Bloody hell that sodding doll was right...I think I love her.' She stepped toward him and smiled. She knew why she could tell him anything. The eyes. They were serious and emotional and cold and loving all at the same time. "Can I kiss you?" She asked not waiting before permision. She kissed his lips, grabbed the back of his head and pulled him in. He kissed back. She didn't know what she was doing really. She hadn't known him all that long, but it felt like this was right.  
  
"Okay well it's plenty late now and I think it's past your bedtime luv so I'll be going." He smiled warmly as her as if to thank her for the kiss.  
  
"See you later." She waved with an idiotic smile across her face.  
  
"Night Slayer." He turned with a swoosh of his duster.  
  
"Slayer?" She whispered to herself.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Oz?" The figure in the bathroom turned to face her.  
  
"Willow, hey." He smiled faintly.  
  
"What....What're you doing here?" Willow, even after all this time.....after becoming involved with Tara still loved Oz with all her heart. She'd always wished he'd come back like this. Always wished they could have one last night....  
  
"I'm here to see you...I've been thinking about you and I thought that we ended this..." He said pointing to him then to her, "The wrong way."  
  
"And you what? You'd like to end this....the right way?"  
  
"Yes Willow...I want to make love to you one last time." 'Oh my Goddess, can werewolves read minds?' She moved forward and grabbed his hand...leading him to her bed with the red comforter.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Willow?" Buffy'd come back to the dorm early the next morning...she'd decided to hunt for some vamps to kill....How did Will know she was the Slayer? "Will?" she gasped seeing her friend in a bed, her naked body mangled through the covers. She shook her lightly. "Will, you okay?"  
  
"Yah. Yah I'm fine. You'll never guess what happened last night."  
  
"Hm....wild dream?"  
  
"Oz came back."  
  
"Oz what?"  
  
"He came back and we did it so we could end it right. He said all he wanted was to make it all right and we had one of the best nights of my life."  
  
"I'm so glad Willow." Buffy sighed,"I've gotta go to class now, but I'll see you later okay?"  
  
"Sure Buffy." Buffy turned around and went out the door. Willow's eyes filled with black and she dressesd and left the dorm room right behind Buffy.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The mousolium she entered was in one of the many Sunnydale cemeteries. It belonged to the Arpigiouz family, or so it said about the door. It smelt dank and musty, kind of expected in a place where only dead lived. There was a short thing sitting on the tomb in the center of what seemed the first room of many in the mousolium. It had one horn growing out of the back of it's head, and a periwinkle toned skin which was crackled like old paint. The little monster was about equivelent to a midget in size and shape. It had cold beady yellow eyes that were very close to the bridge of its, or what seemed to be a nose.  
  
"Master Sklakai, I am here to serve, love and obey you." Willow bowed at the monsters feet.  
  
"Yes my servant. Oh, you my obiediant one have connections, and powers...I can breathe them...thick and scented like perfume." He cackled an evil laugh.  
  
"I shall carry out your will, I live to love you."  
  
"You know a powerful one, one deadly to us, our kind, ones of evil descent. I suspect the Chosen One is whom you know."  
  
"Yes sire it is she that I am connected to."  
  
"Very good dearest. I will need you to let me get to those close to her, her dearest friends, relatives, even enemies."  
  
"Yes Master of All," Willow bowed down to the ground and left the mousolium in prosute of all the Slayer held dear.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
'Again no Will. That guy seems to be a friend of the element of suprise.' Buffy had just gotten through another boring class, on another mundane day. She walked from the main class building to her Magic Box job. 'Woohoo I love my job, and I love my destiny...yay...party for me.' Buffy couldn't stand it anymore if her life took any more turns toward the abnormal she might as well become a vamp, and totally live, or unlive this weirdness thing to the fullest. Making her way to the sidewalk she looked around her. There were people in love, people fighting, people driving, people doing perfunctory things that normal people did. No not her though. She was destined to save them all, let them all continue their normalness, but live the weirdness. It didn't seem fair. At times Buffy really did think that the vamps had a total advantage compared to her. Though there was no fair in vamp land there was fun. They had fun every night of their undead lives. They traveled and knew things. They saw history, even caused it. She wished she could do something like that. Be self-centered. Kill for the thrill, basically the vampire motto. She wanted that sometimes, most of the time in fact. Well lately anyway.  
  
"Hey Buffy!" An unusually cheerful Willow bust Buffy's wanting-to-be-a-vamp thoughts away, far away. She never wanted anyone to ever know about that.  
  
"Hi Wills, what're you up to?"  
  
"Looking for the Scoobies, didn't think there was a Magic Box meeting today, but I never know so thought I'd check there." They weren't that far away from the shop now.  
  
"Yeah," The blonde sighed. She was thinking about the Sklakai. If it caught her, she wondered what would it do to her? Turn her into a vampire? Make her life normal? Let her see Angel? No, she didn't really want to see him...not that badly.  
  
They walked into the Magic Box to see the whole crew sitting there doing research around the table in the corner of the shop.  
  
"Hey Buffy," Xander said looking up from his thick book of demons.  
  
"Hey, how's the researchin?"  
  
"We're not really getting anywhere fast." Anya said from behind the cashier's counter, where she too had a book open.  
  
"Yeah well I think I have an up and up on this Sklakai demon." Willow volunteered.  
  
"Really Will?" Xander asked.  
  
"Yeah. Xander do you wanna come do the computer search thing with me?"  
  
"Sure Will."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
They were huddled around the computer. Willow was typing in things on a search engine.  
  
"So what do we know so far Xander?" Willow asked  
  
"We know that this thing feeds of your desires and makes you a mindless servant."  
  
"Hey!" Willow said resenting that but catching herself, "I think I found something."  
  
"Really. What's it say?"  
  
"Oh..." She frowned, "It's about Ska music not the Sklakai demon..." Her face twisted into a smile, her eyes turned black,"What's your deepest desire Xander?"  
  
"Will...we shouldn't be concentrating on..." He was interupted by Willow turning around, her face inches from his.  
  
"Is it me? Do you want me Xander?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Whas this I hear Spike?" Drusilla asked him when she returned to the crypt that night. "I hear that you found the Slayer last night. She was all alone, and sad. Her head hurt and she was weak. But you didn't do away with her! Miss Edith is so very dissapointed in you Spike."  
  
"I couldn't kill her. Not just then. Toying with her is much more effective. Besides why don't you kill her if you want her dead so bloody badly?" Spike clenched and unclenched his fists.  
  
"Spike, my killer of Slayers, you have to kill her. Miss Edith says that you are the Slayers only equal opponent."  
  
"Miss Edith's a doll Dru! She hasn't a bloody clue what she's talking about!"  
  
"How dare you speak to Miss Edith that way!" Drusilla covered the dolls ears. "Kill her Spike." She left the room in a fury.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Wi-Wil-Willow! There's, no, there's Anya and oh oh oh there's Tara! We- no!" Xander moved backwards, away from a pressing Willow.  
  
"I didn't say you could have me, I just asked, am I your desire?" She moved forward more as Xander ran out of room behind him and backed into a wall. She pinned him there.  
  
"If I answer you will you-will you just get back to the researching?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Yes Willow, you're what I want." She moved her head forward and kissed him hard on the lips, despite his forcefull 'no' answers, he gave in and kissed her back.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Giles, my shifts almost over and I've got some stuff to do..." Buffy said to Giles, wanting to get out of that shop, to be anywhere else.  
  
"Sure, of course Buffy. I'll call you if we find out anything else." The flustered English man waved a hand absent-mindedly in the air as he looked through more books, hoping to find the answer to their demon problem. Buffy didn't need a second invitation, she quickly left the Magic Box, headed no where.  
  
Footsteps sounded behind her. She didn't have a stake with her, or a cross. Tonight she had hoped there'd be no vamps out. Slim chance but still...either she hoped they wouldn't be there or that they'd just kill her. Get her out of the weirdness. She didn't even make an effort to turn around. She didn't care anymore. The steps got quicker, nearer, she flinched, but kept walking. A hand reached out and grabbed her shoulder. Undoubtedly the hand of her soon-to-be killer. "Buffy," it was an English voice. She turned around. It was Will.  
  
"Okay, why do you always show up in the dead of night? Is it just to freak me out? Is it like fun for you or something?" She liked him, could eventually love him, but she was quite annoyed at how this relationship was going.  
  
"No, I just had to tell you, I can't see you anymore. Not that we were really 'seeing' eachother, but I can't come visit you anymore." His face was full of hurt, hers mirrored his hearing this.  
  
"Why....? Wait...first I need to know something," His words from the other night crept back into her head, 'Night Slayer'. "You called me 'Slayer' what was that about?"  
  
"You bloody well know what that was about. You're the Slayer. I called you Slayer because you are the Slayer." He stated matter-of-factly. Buffy gaped at him.  
  
"How'd you know I'm the Slayer...how do you even know what a Slayer is?" Buffy had been so happy to have finally met a normal guy. Apparently he wasn't normal.  
  
"Oh bloody hell! You already know...you've known for a while I'll bet!" The Slayer just stood there looking puzzled. "You said it yourself. 'I only come out at night'. The one time I came out during the day it'd been raining so it was cloudy." He paused, she still looked confused. "Oh c'mon! When we were dancing, when you grabbed my hand! You must've thought I felt cold!" Buffy just gasped.  
  
"You're...you're not..." she just stuttered and couldn't say it.  
  
"Not a vampire? Think again." He vamped out just to prove himself. The blonde stared at him in disbelief.  
  
"So what? You're here to kill me or something?" Now grasping her situation, she realized this was what she was hoping for....to end it all tonight.  
  
"Basically." He returned to his human face. "But see I can't."  
  
'Great! The one person, right here that could kill me...not vamp enough to do it...' "Why? You afraid of me? Well don't be.." She opened her coat and emptied her pockets, "No stakes or crosses. Just kill me" She walked forward and revealed her neck as if begging him.  
  
He stared at it...tempted...but not nearly enough to do it. "I can't because I think I love you." She was shocked and it was apparent. He took this opportunity to bend down and kiss her lightly. Then he turned around and left her...standing there alone on the sidewalk next to the Magic Box.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Willow," Xander groaned, rolling over to hold her, "I think I love you."  
  
"No," she smiled, "you just like doing it with me."  
  
"Can we do it again?" Xander said like a little kid wanting another ride on the rollercoaster.  
  
"Later my dear...now we must go see the master."  
  
They're eyes turned black, they got dressed and left to the cemetry.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"You have done well, Willow." The Sklakai told her as Xander followed her into the mausoleum. "You," he said pointint to Xander, "must kill."  
  
"Kill who? Oh great one."  
  
"Kill the demon, the witch and leave the watcher to me."  
  
Xander and Willow bowed..."Anything for you master..."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
They walked in on Anya, Dawn, Tara, Giles, and Buffy researching.  
  
"Hey guys," they smiled. There was something different about them Buffy noticed. Willow had on red leather pants and a black no sleaved silk top, 'Not usual Will attire' Buffy knew Willow was trying to shed the 'little girl' clothing, but nothing like this. Xander also had on a very...interesting outfit. He was decked out in leather...'Oh no. The last time this happend they were vamps..'  
  
"Uh...hey" Buffy said nervously, "you guys go vamp again?" She laughed nervously.  
  
Giles' eyes widend realizing all to well that something was wrong as Buffy mentioned it, so did Anya. "Go vamp? Now why on earth would you say that?" said Willow as her eyes turned black. "Yeah what would make you assume that?" Xanders eyes did the same as he drew a giant knife out from behind his back.  
  
"Guys, run." Buffy said, preparing to fight her closest friends. Xander ran after Anya and Tara, raising his knife.  
  
"What's the matter Buffy?" Willow asked frowning, "don't want us to have any fun?" she threw a punch straight at Buffy's face. Buffy held up one hand blocking her. "What. Happend. To. You. Will?" She questioned inbetween brief jabs and fast blocks.  
  
"Happend? Well, I was given everything I desired. Well actually, the only thing I desired." Willow continued kicking and swinging at Buffy's body. It all hit her at once, what had happend, what was going to happen and Willow's fist. Buffy was laying on the ground, the witch above her. 'Oz...her deepest desire...the Sklakai demon got her...and it must have gotten Xander too. Now they're it's servants' She jumped back up and kicked Willow in the face, 'Now I have to kill my best friends...' As the blood treaded down Willow's cheek, a tear sprung from Buffy's eye.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Giled, Tara, we have to get away from Xander. He's the Sklakai's servant now!" Anya yelled at her two comrads while the were being chased by the possesed Xander and his gigantic blade.  
  
"How can you tell?" Giles yelled back, as if he needed an explanation. "Okay well maybe that's not what we need to know, but how can we make him stop."  
  
"You can't unless you kill them you know that!" Anya shouted.  
  
"But I can get the blade away!" Tara yelled as she pivoted and whispered a spell, expeling the knife from Xander's hands and into her own. She charged at Xander, the knife poised towards his heart. She was inches away when he pulled out another, smaller dagger and shoved it straight into her heart. Tara's screams made Giles and Anya shudder, but they didn't stop running.  
  
"Anya! Split up! Take as many turns as you can and meet me back at my apartment!" Giles shouted, Anya nodded.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Spike, Miss Edith tells mummy that again you did not kill that pesky Slayer." Dru said, twirling her hair with a finger, walking across the crypt to confront the blonde vampire.  
  
"Well for once Dru that damn doll is right." Spike was fed up with Drusilla, her doll, and the 'mission' they were on. "God, I'm so sick of you harassing me about this! Why don't you just kill the bloody bitch yourself? Your so damn bent on it!" He slumped onto the ground, wishing he had a drink.  
  
"Aw, is my Spike all upset over his failure? Well no need to worry mummy'll take care of the naughty Slayer…"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Willow was laying face down on the floor, Buffy standing above her, knife in hand ready to do what she had to. "Willow, I'm sorry, You'll always be the best friend I ever had." Her knife hand began to bear down on her closest friend, when Willow's feet kicked Buffy's hand, sending the knife flying. The witch stood up, and ran.  
  
"Shit." Buffy chased after her, tears beginning to well up. She couldn't stand it anymore. 'Once again my friends are in danger and if I wasn't the Slayer it wouldn't have happened. It's worse this time though…this time they're going to die.' Willow ran faster, right through the cemetery. Buffy picked up her pace, passing some mausoleums. She was gaining on Willow when one of the mausoleums doors swung open and someone pulled her into the dank space.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Giles heaved a heavy sigh as he reached his apartment and locked the door. He wondered if Anya was okay. Then he heard it, the opera music. He saw a rose and a bottle of wine on his table. "No, it can't be…" Giles slowly walked up his stairs and there on his bed was Jenny, but she was alive.  
  
"Giles, I've been waiting for you."  
  
TBC….  
  
Sorry about the TBC ya'll, I'm waiting for my beta readers to finish corrections and whatnot. 


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